Posts on Justin Langhorst

Big Magic

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Five things I learned from “Big Magic,” a book by Elizabeth Gilbert on creative living beyond fear.

Lawns Into Meadows

Tue, 23 May 2023 22:26:43 -0500

Five Things I learned from “Lawns Into Meadows,” a book by Owen Wormser about how to convert lawns into a regenerative meadow landscapes.

Garden Update for April, 2023

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:39:58 -0500

The Greenthread, Bluebonnets and Winecups have been blooming for a while now. It’s so lovely to come into the driveway and be surrounded by this.

Lots of Indian blanket waiting to pop. And lots of sideoats grama from last year.

I’ve been trying to stay on top of the Hedge parsley but man it’s a lot. Hopefully it won’t be as bad next year / trying to catch it before it goes to seed.

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:29:32 -0500

So many gorgeous views. So many cool plants! Such great company! Exclamations!

Creek in the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, 2023

Thank you, Snodgrass

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:50:25 -0500

Fuck. Snodgrass passed away this morning.

It was 2003. I was a junior at UTA, working towards a business degree in information systems, putting in 25-30 hours a week at UPS in Mesquite to pay for school, and spending a good amount of time in the music building for music performance and jazz theory just because I loved it. It was there, particularly my time with the group pictured here, that I enjoyed the most. A place I felt at home.

Day Trip to Austin

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:08:31 -0500

I’ve been meaning to post something for a while. An update. A sign of life. Something that says a little something about what I’ve been doing lately. The answer is simply: a lot.

Today was significant. Many days have been significant, lately. But today in particular was further validation that what I’ve been spending my time and energy on is the right path. That I’m exactly where I need to be.

The Four Agreements

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:04:24 -0600

Five Things I learned from “The Four Agreements,” a book by Don Miguel Ruiz on how to find personal freedom in a practical manner.

Five Things

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 12:34:11 -0600

After so many years of reading and taking meticulous notes on whatever seems to interest me in the moment, I began to wonder why I was spending so much effort collecting information. I mean, I love to learn, but why hoard the notes?

It wasn’t until I came across Tiago Forte’s work that it all came together: The ultimate purpose of collecting information is to share what you’ve organized and distilled with others.

Native Landscaping

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:18:38 -0500

After having the majority of the front yard redone last winter (driveway, grading), I seeded that side with a native seed mix from Native American Seed. Prairie grasses and flowers showed up! It turned out better than I expected considering the crazy summer and very little rain during that period.

It was my goal to finish the other side on my own, and today I’m mostly done.

After removing a crap-ton of liriope, light grading work, and fixing the stone path, I finished by seeding with shade-friendly grass and wildflower mixes. I’m really excited to see what happens here.

Waking Up

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:24:49 -0500

I’ve been volunteering at the Windmill Garden at the Dallas College Brookhaven campus for a few months now. It’s a North Texas Master Naturalist sponsored garden, absolutely full of life, and has been one of my favorite places in the city since its creation a number of years ago. I was recently accepted into the 2023 training program and I’m truly excited to be a part of projects like this and work with like-minded people.

Castle Peak 100K (2021)

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:34:11 -0500

One of the reasons I sign up to both enjoy and suffer through ultra-marathons is for the experience of sheer adventure. The nature. The people. The camaraderie of the trail running community.

Another more personal reason: ultra-marathons provide excellent opportunities to get to know myself at deeper levels.

I intended to finish the 62 miles of this race on very little training. While I only made it through half the race, I left with far more valuable lessons than I would have had I finished.

JRNI (Lumia) Coaching Certification

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:34:11 -0500

It was summer 2020 and I was alone on my way back home from a short stay at the coast with family and friends. I often listen to podcasts while driving so what a perfect opportunity to listen to a new one by the author of a book I had been reading at the time: John Kim’s The Angry Therapist, a no BS guide to self-improvement.

I’ve been reading self-help / personal-growth books casually since I was in my teens for reasons I am unable to express eloquently. The podcast though … the podcast was intriguing because it offered a glimpse into a place I had been seeking for a long time. At the end they advertised their coaching training program and there was something about the idea of becoming a life coach that was incredibly appealing. Within 15 minutes of getting home after a 4-5 hour drive, I was signed-up to the program and ready to go. I felt completely in alignment for the first time in forever (there’ll be magic, there’ll be fun).

Life. Rambling. Coaching.

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 23:55:42 -0500

I started running again recently. After taking a solid eight month break after successfully running my first 100 miler last November I no longer felt great in my body. And I felt my thought patterns sliding back into a time in my twenties where I was surviving through life rather than fully living. No thank you.

I don’t care much about surviving by itself. That shit is soul-suckingly boring. Life is for the living. The goal is to thrive. And we thrive by creating things that entertain us simply because they are entertaining to do so. Simply because we find beauty in our creations. Simply because stuff is fun.

16kg Program Minimum

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:38:39 -0500

After so many months off, I’m officially back to practicing the yoga of simple kettlebell lifts and running.

Today I reached Program Minimum standards from the Kettlebell Simple & Sinister book. This is essentially 10x10 one-armed swings within 5 minutes, followed by 10x Turkish get-ups within 10 minutes with a 1 minute rest in-between swings and get-ups.

Am I capable of more weight right now? Yes, absolutely. At what cost? I’m not sure.

The N-33

Fri, 27 May 2022 15:34:05 -0500

I’ve spent so much time working away from home the past couple of months as it’s hard for me to concentrate on anything at home while living in the midst of renovations. Native Coffee Co is one of my favorite places to sit and work because the coffee is delicious (I almost always drink black), it’s close to the house, and … well, it’s comfortable … the vibe is good.

Hello, again

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 11:42:22 -0600

Hi! It’s time to refresh things once again. I’ve reached 40 years of age, am definitely a different person than I was over 20 years ago when I first started posting on the internet. I have big plans for the next decade and beyond. And to begin, I’m collecting a lot of my random posts on the internet over the last 20 years and back-filling this site with this random content. Enjoy. Or don’t. I hope you do you.

Radical Reality Changing

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:34:11 -0500

The thing about radically changing your reality is that it is likely out of your present awareness. And that’s okay because the journey getting there is the best part anyway, living in the present moment. So after you figure out what you want in life, you gotta get out in the world and do something that you feel will lead you there, being open to receive and having faith in the process itself. Enjoy it.

You have all the answers within ...

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 12:34:11 -0500

… and to find them takes consistent practice, consistent inner work to tap into the universal energy where the answers are dancing around in space like feathers, waiting for you to get still enough to gracefully fall into your lap.

This requires quiet. Quieting thoughts – the endless, mindless chatter of the ego self. The goal is to connect with the higher Self, thereby connecting with the universal energy of the universe.

You is beautiful.

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:34:11 -0500

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. – André Gide

I need you to really, truly believe that you are unique and possess precious gifts to share with the world. Why? Because it’s true. And. Because the world becomes even more gorgeous than it already is when you do.

Let go of negative self-talk. Let go of comparison with others. Let go of guilt, resentment and criticism. Learn your lessons and forgive yourself.

Self-Care / Volunteering

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:34:11 -0500

I’ve been in a mental funk the past few days and was hoping things would improve on my drive out to Huntsville State Park yesterday. Things didn’t pick up for me mentally until I set foot on the trail, albeit slowly.

As much as I wanted to be completely in service to everybody passing through the #Damnation aid station for Rocky Raccoon, I wasn’t. Not at first anyway. I put on a show, yes. I was doing my best, yes, but I wasn’t being authentic. I put on a social mask that sort of looked like normal, positive Justin. But I wasn’t in integrity with myself, no.

Ultra-Marathon Volunteering

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 12:34:11 -0500

I drove down to Huntsville State Park today (Saturday, 2021.02.06) to volunteer for the Rocky Raccoon 100 with NTTR at the Damnation aid station. The photo is from nine years ago, the last time I was there, and the morning of my first 50 mile race.

Nine years ago was a slugfest of a day – the first two of three 17 mile loops went ridiculously well for me. The third – oh man, I slowly, painfully victory lapped it into one of the last 50 mile finisher spots of the race. 252nd. 17:31:18.

Self-Compassion

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 20:53:31 -0500

A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life. – Christopher K. Germer

A practical example: be sweet to yourself. Remind yourself as many times as you need throughout the day, every day.

I met a yoga teacher a few years ago who would say this in nearly every class. It was such a wonderful thing to hear spoken out loud even though it was a lesson I had already taken to heart years ago. The specific phrase of “be sweet to yourself” resonated strongly and has stuck. I suppose there’s often more work to when it comes to self-compassion.

Happiness

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:21:41 -0500

A human being is not one in pursuit of happiness but rather in search of a reason to become happy. – Viktor Frank, Man’s Search for Meaning

True happiness for me comes in connecting deeply with people. Through watching people really come into themselves. To see them living authentically, to live in integrity with themselves, to be as much of themselves as they can possibly be. And to see them getting out there, and fucking getting it.

Leadership

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:20:11 -0500

A star wants to see himself rise to the top.

A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top. – Simon Sinek

I spent a large part of today either in a coaching class around branding or thinking about branding. Much of the material and ideas originated from Simon Sinek’s work, so I thought it only appropriate to quote him today.

Sinek’s most famous work is all about finding and starting from your why. Why is it that you do what it is that you do? That’s what people truly care about – not what you do, but why you do it.

Soul Mates

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:20:11 -0500

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

Gratitude

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:19:11 -0500

Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk. – Rumi

I’ve been having not the greatest last few days. I’ve been in a bit of a mental funk and can’t seem to find a way out of it. That is, I was until I found flow while writing gratitude letters this evening.

I was sitting, remote working at a brewery today, attempting to design a feature for a software application I’m building. I had been there for hours; tired, low energy, unable to focus. And so I decided to change it up in the moment and began writing gratitude letters I’ve been meaning to write.

Love

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:18:11 -0500

Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. – Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

This is the truth as told by so many poets, the final wisdom of so many thinkers.

What is love? (baby don’t …) Hah, no. What is unconditional love? Everything. Love is everything.

The salvation of man is through love and in love.

I consider myself extremely fortunate in that I’ve been able to experience this endless vibrational wave that is love permeating through my body and everything around me. I’m thinking of a particular moment that left me in a state of pure bliss. One that I’ve never experienced so forcefully before this moment. A moment where I could do nothing else but float in an ocean of my own tears.

Unity

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:16:11 -0500

Be Americans. Let there be no sectionalism, no North, South, East or West. You are all dependent on one another and should be one in union. In one word, be a nation. Be Americans, and be true to yourselves. – George Washington

Personally, I’d go broader. Be humans. Practice curiosity and understanding. Practice compassion.

Suffering / Living

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:09:11 -0500

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the art of living. – Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

To find humor in moments of suffering is an art worth mastering. If we have the power to choose how we think about things in any given situation or set of circumstances (and we do!), finding humor in suffering feels an awful lot like living.

Vulnerability, People

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 01:20:54 -0500

As children we found ways to protect ourselves from vulnerability, from being hurt, diminished, and disappointed … now as adults we realize that to live with courage, purpose, and connection—to be the person whom we long to be—we must again be vulnerable.

— Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

Aluminimum Man, 2020

Aluminimum Woman, 2020

Be Curious. Listen. Practice Compassion.

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 12:27:37 -0500

I came across an article this morning by Dennis Sanders entitled Attention must be paid: the electoral lessons of the working class:

Trump exposed something that we Americans are loathe to talk about – class. As hard as it is to talk about race in America, we like to pretend class doesn’t exist. But the fact is, it does and it shows itself in how middle and upper income Americans look at low income Americans, especially those who are poor and white. The well educated in American society tend to view the working class, especially the white working class with contempt.

Door(s) @ Farmers Branch Historical Park

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 21:29:28 -0500

I rode my bike to the park today to work for a few hours and enjoyed 27 acres of beautifully maintained park largely by myself. Craziness, especially given that we are having badass weather lately.

Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.

Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.

Running Thoughts

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 19:27:18 -0500

Out the door at 9:22pm. Short running shorts. Black socks. Black shoes. Garmin.

It’s nice out. The heat and humidity have been oppressive for several days, so this is a huge relief. What a perfect time to run.

A few minutes into the night and away from a neighborhood full of trees, the sky is in full view. The landscape is full of spirited clouds with a backdrop of vivid yet dulling pastels. A gorgeous blue-gray cast is quickly turning everything to black.

What 3 Words

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 07:36:25 +0700

Have you ever been frustrated with not being able to find a place because Google Maps (or ahem, Apple Maps) didn’t take you to the right location? Now, imagine that you need serious medical attention and happen to be in a place where formal address systems aren’t a thing. what3words is a solution to this problem and one that is already being used all over the world.

A precise, three-word address for every place on earth

Writing code without thinking is a recipe for bad code

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:17:08 -0600

Why we should build software like we build houses (Wired).

A method of loading scripts per page in Hugo

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 13:45:57 -0500

How to load scripts per page using the Hugo static site generator

Handling contact forms on static sites

Sat, 03 Sep 2016 22:17:34 -0500

I originally went the route of rolling my own contact form handler. But instead of setting up my own server (even if mostly already written the way I would want it, see contact-form on GitHub), daemonizing it, proxying requests from Nginx, and then remembering how I set it all up 6 months from now, I found another service.

FormKeep look awesome, but their lowest pricing option is way more expensive than I need for a paltry little contact form on a site that barely gets any traffic.

The journey to a sub 20 minute 5k

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 20:44:30 -0500

I’ve been wanting to run a 5k in less than 20 minutes since I started running over 6 years ago. Admittedly the last few years have been sparse - probably due to the demands of my four year old daughter. But she’s getting a bit more independent these days and I have a bit more time to get back into running.

Personal MBA

Fri, 01 May 2015 22:38:10 -0500

Thoughts on the Personal MBA business book reading list.

Creating and rotating log files from piped input

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:15:31 -0500

On using the rotatelogs tool to rotate files based on time and/or size

Starting a food forest

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 16:53:58 -0600

The moment I learned about permaculture and what is possible, I was hooked.

On athletic endeavours thus far

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:58:56 -0600

A short personal diary on running and stairclimbing.

Wiki on BeagleBone Black

Sat, 03 Jan 2015 18:00:00 +0000

How to set-up a wiki for home or business use on the BeagleBone Black computer.

Hosting multiple domains with Nginx in Ubuntu 14.04 on Digital Ocean

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 10:04:15 +0000

How to set-up a VPS on Digital Ocean to host multiple sites with the Nginx web-server on top of the Ubuntu 14.04 operating system.

Einstein on reading

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 05:00:24 +0000

Albert Einstein quote about reading.

First post using Hugo

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 04:44:44 +0000

Ahhh, new beginnings. About the only time I ever write something is when I am changing software. I suppose it’s time to change that.

Octopress on S3

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:23:23 +0000

How to set-up Octopress, a static blogging engine, on the Amazon S3 service.

Using AirPort Utility 5.6.1 in Lion

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:34:34 +0000

How to use AirPort Utility to configure an AirPort Express within OS X Lion.

On pens

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 22:48:48 +0000

What goes well with notebooks? Pens! Since my last post was about notebooks, it only makes sense for this one to be about pens. Right? Right.

A search for the perfect notebook

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:34:34 +0000

A search for the perfect paper notebook. Graph lines.

pbcopy | pbpaste, and opening a new terminal tab in the current working directory

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:59:59 +0000

Using the OS X command-line utilities pbcopy and pbpaste within the terminal.

LOSE not LOOSE, DEFINITELY not DEFINATELY

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:34:00 -0600

I’m so tired of seeing “loose” used for the word “lose” all over the web. This seems to be an increasingly common grammatical error. If Lose and Loose were to get in a fight, I think Lose might actually lose, especially if they were to fight in a loose manner.

I wonder where this misspelling originated from? Maybe it has something to do with the ridiculous nature of English spelling … I mean, doesn’t “luze” make more sense?

A Big Smile ... Ruby and Erlang

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 12:34:11 -0600

A big smile appeared on my face tonight after typing the following:

-module(math1).
-export([factorial/1]).

factorial(0) -> 1;
factorial(N) -> N * factorial(N-1).

def factorial(n)
  return 1 if n == 0
  n * factorial(n-1)
end

Maybe not so obvious. But check this out:

-module(temp).
-export([convert/2]).

convert({fahrenheit, Temp}, celsius) ->
        {celsius, 5 * (Temp -32) / 9};
convert({celsius, Temp}, fahrenheit) ->
        {fahrenheit, 32 + Temp * 9 / 5};
convert({reaumur, Temp}, celsius) ->
        {celsius, 10 * Temp / 8};
convert({celsius, Temp}, reaumur) ->
        {reaumur, 8 * Temp / 10};
convert({X, _}, Y) ->
        {cannot,convert,X,to,Y}.

This a simple temperature conversion program. Done in Ruby with methods, although not normally the way that I would introduce such functionality into a program:

def convert(from, temp, to)
  case to
    when :celsius     : to_celsius(from, temp)
    when :fahrenheit  : to_fahrenheit(from, temp)
    when :reaumur     : to_reaumur(from, temp)
    else                "cannot convert #{from} to #{to}"
  end
end

def to_celsius(from, temp)
  case from
    when :fahrenheit  : 5.0 * (temp - 32.0) / 9.0
    when :reaumur     : 10.0 * temp / 8.0
    when :celsius     : temp
    else                "cannot convert #{from} to celsius"
  end
end

def to_fahrenheit(from, temp)
  case from
    when :celsius     : 32.0 + temp * 9.0 / 5.0
    when :fahrenheit  : temp
    else                "cannot convert #{from} to fahrenheit"
  end
end

def to_reaumur(from, temp)
  case from
    when :celsius     : 8.0 * temp / 10.0
    when :reaumur     : temp
    else                "cannot convert #{from} to reamur"
  end
end

Yikes! The pattern matching in Erlang functions really comes in handy. Here is the output from both terminals (Erlang then Ruby):

Adding to the Ruby Logger

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:34:11 -0600

I’ve been working on some new code at work for a new install. Unfortunately, I’m unable to use the new framework just yet (mainly because it’s not complete), and I needed a workaround for the Ruby Logger to be able to accept .trace calls (we usually use Log4r. Here’s my workaround:

require 'logger'

# Redefine the Logger to allow for TRACE calls.
class Logger
  module Severity
    TRACE = -1
  end
  
  def trace?; @level <= TRACE; end
  
  def trace(progname = nil, &block)
    add(TRACE, nil, progname, &block)
  end
  
  NEW_SEV_LABEL = %w(TRACE DEBUG INFO WARN ERROR FATAL ANY)
  
  def format_severity(severity)
    NEW_SEV_LABEL[severity+1] || 'ANY'
  end
end

Usage example:

Giant Steps Animation

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:34:11 -0600

John Coltrane has long been one of my favorite artists. Giant Steps was indeed, a successful album and song of Coltrane’s and I was definitely happy to see that someone put this music to animation.

Happiness

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 12:34:11 -0600

I’ve been very happy lately. It’s not all that often that I’m actually in a bad mood, but lately, I’ve been in a really good one. Tonight, after a 12-14 hour work day, I jumped in my car, let the front windows down, threw in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco), turned up the volume, and couldn’t stop smiling. I’m not sure if it was just the music or if it was a combination of that, the nice breeze of cool air, and the fact that I was practically done for the day.

Spelling Test: E and C

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 12:34:00 -0600

Somewhere between third and fifth grade, I took a particular spelling test in which there was a relatively short word that contained the letter “e.” My writing of a lowercase “e” often looks like a “c” as I do not give it the care that it much deserves (more on this, never).

After we had exchanged papers and finished the grading, the girl who graded mine had a question about this particular word containing the lowercase “e.” She discussed it with the teacher, and the teacher agreed: “c.”